Australia’s romance with hot chips has been a long and celebrated affair. From buckets of hot chips at the corner store, to pub grub chips and burgers, it’s no secret we love them! However, for our obsession with hot chips to continue, we’ll have to rely on steady supplies of potatoes from our local fruit and veg shops as supplies of frozen chips has been dampened lately, due to reported potato shortages affecting frozen chip suppliers.
Frozen chip manufacturers operating in Victoria and Tasmania have recently been impacted by a perfect storm of issues affecting their growers crop yields and their supply chain, including wet weather and increased fuel, transport, fertilizer and labour costs.
However, with a bit of hand-crafted love, you can still enjoy your favourite comfort food with local, independent, A better choice! fruit and veg shops reporting a steady supply of Brushed and Washed Potatoes sourced from growers all over Australia through the Brisbane Markets® at Rocklea.
A better choice! retailer, George Macaron of Lawnton Country Markets, says the quality is better than
ever at the moment and it’s created an increase in demand.
“We sell out daily and must get more in, more frequently, which means they are also fresher for
customers – it’s better quality,” said George.
MegaFresh Browns Plains, A better choice! independent local fruit and veg store owner, Adam Jeff, says with the current demand, they have a wide variety of potatoes available.
“Our shelves are stocked, and the quality is excellent. We are not experiencing any supply issues from
the Markets at all,” said Adam.
Tim O’Toole, Manager of O’Toole Produce who is a Potato Wholesaler operating from the Brisbane Markets, said there is no shortage of brushed potatoes coming into the Markets that independent fruit and veg retailers are hand selecting daily for their customers.
“Brushed potatoes right now are excellent quality and hand cut chips prove value for money and are more readily available than their frozen counterparts. They also have a high nutrient content as they are grown in predominantly good volcanic soil,” said Tim.
“Russet, Yukon Gold, Red Bliss and Sweet Potatoes are also great for hand cut chips.”
One of O’Toole’s potato growers is Durkin Produce in Victoria. Director, Mike Durkin says that his fresh market yields are down slightly, but supply is still stable as market prices have lifted from last year, due to supply and demand.
“Despite the rising costs, we have still been able to maintain a quality supply of brushed potatoes to the Brisbane Markets. So if you looking for plenty of potatoes for your hot chips, go to your local fruit and veg shop.”
Whether it’s straight cut, crinkle cut, French fry, gem or even a sweet potato fry, your local A better choice! fruit and veg shop has all you need to feed your craving. You can find your nearest retailer by visiting www.abetterchoice.com.au.
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About A Better Choice!
The A Better Choice! program supports over 500 independent retailers and wholesalers across the country who supply more than half of Australia’s fresh produce each year. In Queensland, the A Better Choice! program is run by Brismark and supported by the Brisbane Markets. More information about A Better Choice! including retailers and wholesalers can be found by visiting www.abetterchoice.com.au
Media contacts:
Karen Tilke, Business and Service Delivery Manager, Brismark Phone: 0417 207 233 or Email: [email protected]